Cat cafe.........?

I have seen these cafes before , I thought it sounded rather bizarre too.

We have one in Newcastle. 12 year old DGS has been there and told me about it.

Funded by the Princes Trust!!?? Why would you want to stroke a cat while eating? I would have thought that public health would have vetoed this. Most cafes do not allow animals except guide dogs.

I love cats but I think that this is a weird idea. I cannot see 10 cats or so sitting passively staring out of a window and what happens when somebody opens the door- do they all want to rush out? I agree, animals and food do not go together.

On the bus once, when in Nottingham. I saw a girl going to work in a vintage waitress outfit. She got off at the same stop as me and walked across to a vintage cafe with a. I took a mental note as to somewhere different to go. My friend and I trundled along to find it was a 'Kitty Cafe', with a £5 entrance fee to spend time with cats WHY?

Bizarre . But then very little surprises me any more!

I can stay at home with my two and save £5!! Surprised Princes Trust gave this its backing actually.

Anyone want to come and chance their arm stroking my Angel, aka Hissing Sid? I'll even undercut the cat cafes and set the entrance fee at £4. I can give no guarantee that you'll leave with a complete set of digits though.

We have one in our city and a one in Newcastle called naffly 'mog on the Tyne'. DD and SIL love cats and they have visited, they have also been to the one near their home in Brussels. I am at a loss as to how they get permission to serve food, you won't catch me in a cat café.

Apparently, stroking an animal helps to slow the heartbeat and induce relaxation in both the animal and its owner - and also to help with depression and anxiety. Perhaps that's why the café might attract people, although - whilst I quite like cats - I find dogs more companionable.

I don't see why there being food around is such an issue - presumably they're not in the kitchen? If you have a cat at home it will surely be around when you're eating sometimes?

There's one in Edinburgh. I was prevailed to go along with a group of friends who all love cats but aren't allowed to have one. You have to book in advance, £7 entrance fee. It was very clean and the cats are plainly well looked after but it just felt like a jail for cats. There was an 'air lock' entrance and we had to either remove our shoes or wear those shoe protector thingys. I don't want to go back but I do have the luxury of constant feline companionship. I had heard tell of an owl cafe in London. Any truth in that rumour?

I saw a programme about cats last night on the TV and it featured the NE cafe amongst other cat tales. Ugh, 'orrible.

Well I for one would not eat around cats - I am revolted by homes where cats wander about on the kitchen working surface - yuk!

Stroking any soft animal is supposed to help reduce anxiety heart rate blood pressure etc.
When my nan in law had dementia and was in a care home one of the daughters bought her a soft toy dog to hold and stroke. She was really fond of it and enjoyed having it with her.

Very many years ago when I was somewhere in the Lake District there was a cafe that was running alongside a cat rescue place. The Cats were walking about everywhere in the kitchen.

The hygiene was quite disgusting, but in those pre internet days it was not so easy to find out who to complain to particular as a visitor on a weekend.

They would never get away with that now.

People with dementia respond well to animals, real or stuffed.
A couple of news articles about Paro, a stuffed animal with built-in responses to being stroked and so on.
- It's not just a stuffed animal
- It's Not a Stuffed Animal, It's a $6,000 Medical Device

My GC have interactive pets that respond to speech and stroking and they don't give them hay fever. I can see into a neighbour's kitchen window and her cats are always on the worktop while she is cooking and she stops at intervals to stroke them, it makes my toes curl.

My two are banned from worktops and always have been. They do learn not to do it if you start when they're young.

The cafe sounds more like a petting zoo. How are they going to get 10 territorial animals to share this space-mine go mad if another cat dares to come into the garden. Some cats will love meeting new people all the time and others will just be beside themselves. I don't think I agree with these cafes at all.

All the cats seemed very laid back. Most were noticeably sleepy but then cats sleep for 18 hrs a day anyway. The cafe kitchen was strictly off limits to the cats. Everything was sparkly clean and the staff were lovely. Obviously the cats were loved but if you really loved cats would you subject them to a life like that? I certainly wouldn't.
On a different note we once went to a tea room in Madeira and cats patrolled the tables outside. They belonged to the tearoom and weren't strays. They were very funny and sociable. Loved it. Of course they were free to wander off any time and had a choice whether to speak to us or not.

I have been to the one in London. Great fun, even though we have a cat at home, it was nice to interact with the cafe cats, which are all rescue cats, and the slightly eccentric humans who run it. I took my husband who has dementia, and he loved it, and can still remember our visit nine months later, unlike most things that he can't remember for five minutes. The cats all seemed very happy with lots of interaction with the customers, toys and activities and got along fine. I can't see the harm in it at all. The food was nice too!

Last year, I saw one in Totnes....don't know if its still going.

It's not as bad as some farm cafes where chicken hop up onto the table (in the garden) and start eating your dinner. Happened to me twice. Hens are very persistent. (and I've got a phobia of feathered things)

Well, that's typical Totnes. I do like Totnes, but it is very strange,- which is probably why I like it.

You are all very welcome to come here and stroke Wiggy, my cockatiel.
She might hiss at you, or even peck you, so I'm not sure if your blood pressure would be lowered or raised. .

A cat cafe does seem an odd idea and I can't quite see how it would work successfully.

Ah, jinglebellsfrocks.... you wouldn't like Wiggy then. She can be fierce.

Alright through the bars of a cage henetha. Just not near me! [shudder]